Picking Up the Pieces
by GhostRider195
Summary: "A game of chess with Fate is not what one would describe as "simple". Few have challenged her and even fewer have won. She will play by the rules and is a pleasant loser. There is only one catch: you can only win if she wants you to." Yet another "Hiccup runs away" story, but I'd like to think this has a unique twist. Rated T in later chapters.
1. Prologue

"A game of chess with Fate is not what one would describe as "simple". Few have challenged her and even fewer have won. She will play by the rules and is a pleasant loser. There is only one catch: you can only win if she wants you to. Since the day she was assigned to tend to the Yggdrasil with her sisters, she had the life of every god and mortal planned out. Most have accepted her choosing and put it behind them. But every once and awhile a brave soul will wish to change the path before them or another. Always up for entertainment, Fate will gladly take the offer. The winner gets to choose Fate. The gods of Asgard have played against her to change the fate of a mortal more than anyone would like to count, but they can only remember one time when victory landed with them. It was centuries ago, back in the day of Vikings and dragons, and the life of both the former hung in the balance. They were both engaged in a brutal war that had been raging on for three hundred years. But nether were at fault. It was a punishment handed to their ancestors and passed down, unresolved, for seven generations. When the Vikings first came to the Archipelago, they were promptly greeted by scaly, fire-breathing "monsters". Naturally, the Viking bloodlust reared its ugly head and they killed on sight without giving the beast a chance. The dragons defended themselves, and that first meeting landed hundreds in Valhalla. Thor realized he had made a mistake. He had had brought them together on purpose, thinking the two groups could do wonders. He mused they still could, but they needed someone to give them a push in the right would have to wait, but in the meantime he placed a curse on both clans. One that brought on useless fighting until someone bothered to look into it. He placed the Red Death in their midst, in all her terrible glory, then he sat on a cliff overlooking Midgard to wait. And wait. And finally, after three hundred years, there was a hiccup. Just the hiccup he'd been waiting for. He joined Fate at the trunk of Yggdrasil. Let the game begin.

A/N:

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it and I apologize for the shortness of this intro. I promise future chapters will have more meat on their bones. Updates may be slow as my main computer is out of order, along with at least half of the draft for this story.

Anywho, review if you so desire, constructive criticism is always welcome!

\- GhostRider195


	2. Out with the Tide

A/N: I own nothing. All rights belong to their respective owners, DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell.

* * *

The Mead Hall's massive doors swung open with a satisfying thud, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III thrown through them with ungainly flair. The poor boy struggled to regain his footing, fearfully look over his shoulder at his seething father.

"I should have known!" Stoick muttered angrily. "I should have seen the signs!"

"Dad...?"

"We had a deal!"

"I know we did, but that was before...Ugh, it's all so messed up."

"So, everything in that ring, a trick? A lie?"

" I-I should have told you before now, but... Take this out on me, be mad at me, but please, just don't hurt Toothless."

"The dragon? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?"

"He was just protecting me! They're not dangerous!"

"They've killed hundreds of us!"

"And we've killed thousands of them! They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. There's something else on their island, Dad! It's a dragon-like-"

"Their island? So you've been to the nest?"

Ooops. "Did I say 'nest'?"

"How did you find it?"

"Wha...? I didn't. Toothless did, only a dragon can find the island." Stoick looked away, the gears in his head visibly turning. Hiccup mentally slapped himself, how could he have let that slip? "Oh no! Dad, no! It's not what you think. You don't know what you're up against; it's like nothing you've ever seen!" Stoick shoved him aside with minimum effort. "Dad, no! I promise you can't win this one!" Stoick continued walking towards the exit, ignorant of his son's warnings. Hiccup groaned in frustration. He latched on to Stoick's arm, his voice pained. "For once in your life, will you please just listen to me?" Stoick flung the boy to the floor.

"You've thrown your lot in with them, you're not a Viking," He choked. "You're not my son."

Hiccup looked like he'd just been punched in the gut. And in all honestly, he felt like he had.

"You have until morning to rid the island of your Thorforsaken self."

"W-what?"

"Leave us!" The Hooligan Chief barked out. "Odin help you if you're still on our shores after dawn tomorrow!" Stoick turned and slammed the Great Hall's doors behind him in his leave. "Ready the ships!" Hiccup stared at the slowly swinging doors in a daze. He believed every word of Stoick's threat. After all, the words of a man who decapitated a dragon in early childhood are not to be taken lightly. He knew this was bound to going to happen eventually. He was such a disappointment. Leave it to Hiccup to be sitting down and still manage fall flat on his face. And the worst part was, he could find it in himself to blame his former father. After that stunt he just pulled, he was lucky to get away with his life. He took a shaky breath and pulled himself together. He was an Outcast, and there was nothing he could do about it. But Toothless needed him; everyone needed him, even if they'd never know it. He'd already done something stupid, now it was time for something crazy.

* * *

Astrid had turned the village upside down looking for Hiccup, but to no avail. After rushing in to save him from the Nightmare, her clan wouldn't even look at her. She certainly hoped Hiccup was worth her efforts. If only she could find the nerd... She had watched the ships load up for yet another nest search, all they needed was a dragon. From what she heard, Hiccup had spilled the beans on their secret to Stoick, not twenty-four hours after he'd made her solemnly swear not to. Idiot. That's what she got for trying to be kind. She heard thousands of rumors about Hiccup over the course of a few hours. Some were sensible, others hilariously far from the truth. Whispers of Hiccup being Thor in human form, Hiccup a dragon mutant of some sort, but the worst by far was the one of banishment. Stoick would never banish his own son, he loved him too much. She resorted to blame the hideous rumor on Mildew. The bitter old toad couldn't stand anyone's happiness but his own. She sighed. Where could the little twerp be? The gods answered her with an explosion coming from the Kill Ring. She whirled around, sure enough, Toothless shot out of the metal netting like an arrow, the other captivated dragons following suit. The unfortunate Kill Ring guards were knocked out on the ground in front of the gates. She turned her head to see Spitelout and Sven running in a panic to the Chief, who was already watching the scene unfold with distaste. "Stoick! Th-the dragons! He set them free!"

Stoick growled in response. "Catapults!"

Spitelout took a step back. "Catapults, Stoick? That seems a bit much for a handful of dragons."

"Let them go. They weren't who I was referring to."

Wearily, the men turned back to the destroyed Ring. "You don't mean...?"

Stoick nodded. "The Night Fury has seen his last flight.

Astrid didn't need to hear their conversation to know what they were saying. The contempt in Stoick's eyes promised pain. And there was no questioning who would be receiving it. Toothless' form could be seen circling the island, franticly dodging boulders and bolas as he desperately crawled to the horizon.

"Oh, Hiccup," she moaned. "Why are you such an idiot?"

She chased after the chief discreetly, knowing that being seen by anyone at this point would be a very bad idea. Toothless twirled out of the way of flaming arrows, zipping at them at all angles, both dragon and rider far too terrified to turn their backs the island below. Astrid racked her brain. It wouldn't be long till a lucky arrow hit its mark. She didn't have to do anything, she owed him nothing. She entertained thought of assisting, and what would happen if she were to act upon it, knowing full well the price of treason. It was a choice, one that would likely cost blood either way. But she remembered what her father used to say, always do the right thing, even if it involves sacrifice, sometimes sacrifice can be simply standing up for the weaker man.

Astrid ran. She made her decision, she would do something. Only problem, she didn't know what, she was more or less improvising. Stoick loaded his cross bow with a flaming arrow; there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was going to strike exactly what he wanted. Astrid panicked; she could never make it in time. Her ice blue eyes landed on an abandoned bola. Maybe she wouldn't need to. Without a second thought, she grabbed the rope and threw it with all her might. Time seemed to slow down as it twirled gracefully thru the air. And the minute it left her hand, she realized exactly what her father had meant. Stoick gave a cry of surprise as he fell to the ground, bound up and cross bow burning in the dirt. Astrid looked at her trembling hands, ignoring the shocked looks from everyone else. _What have I done?_

* * *

Astrid glanced fearfully towards the crowd staring at her in disbelief. "I-I didn't...I don't..."

"You don't what, lass?" Spitelout growled. She backed up, catching a glance of Sven cutting the chief loose.

"I'm...it was a mistake. I-I'm sorry."

"I should think so." Stoick limped in their direction. "What were you thinking?"

"I-"

Fishlegs placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder. She turned to him in surprise, but she was too scared to speak. "It was my fault. Astrid was aiming toward Hic- urm, the Night Fury, but I tripped her. She fell and she missed her mark terribly. I'm sorry, sir."

Stoick glowered. "Do you realize what your foolishness has cost us? That traitor is out there; ready to return for revenge at any time! The whole village is at stake!"

Fishlegs stood his ground. "I'm sorry, sir. I could stand night guard if it would help."

The chief groaned. "Very well, boy. Both of you will be on guard for the next week, starting right now." He turned to Spitelout. "Gather everyone to the Hall. We have a search to organize."

His second in command nodded without delay. He, for one, was going to stay on Stoick's good side. "Sure thing, chief."

* * *

Astrid sat on the watch tower, observing the crashing waves below her. She was still in shock, to say the least. The last few hours had been nothing short of unexpected. Fishlegs sat across from her, staring at his feet. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "What's up, Fish? Spill."

The Viking boy had never been good at keeping his feelings to himself, often known to let it out in poetry, which he wrote down and hid under his bed.

"I should have been a better friend."

Astrid furrowed her brows. "What?"

He looked up with enough emotion to almost be scary.

"I should have been there for him! He's never been anything but kind to me and I shut him out just so I'd be accepted by Snotlout! Who even _wants_ Snotlout for a friend? Maybe, if I had been there, he wouldn't have needed a dragon friend! And he'd still-"

"Fishlegs. It's not your fault. I-I wasn't the best of friend either. None of us were. At least you tried to talk to him sometimes. I didn't give him the time of day."

Fishlegs didn't appear to be consoled. She groaned.

"Ingerman! I swear it wasn't your fault! Nobody was kind to him."

He continued to stare at her with those sad, pleading eyes. She wanted to punch him.

"Alright, fine! If he comes back, we'll go apologize. Deal?"

He mumbled a response she had no hope of hearing. "What?"

He mumbled again.

"Odin! Speak up!"

He finally looked up from his shoes, staring at her evenly. "I said, we should go look for him."

Astrid stepped back. "What are you talking about? I get you feel guilty and all, I do too. But finding him is impossible. You know that. He's on a Night Fury for Thor's sake! And if tracking it wasn't hard enough, we have no way to catch up! A long ship versus the unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself? You do the math."

Fishlegs sighed sadly. "I guess you're right."

She moved to sit beside him with a smirk. "Of course I'm right. I'm always right."

He gave a small laugh. "Always?"

She nodded jokingly. "Always."

* * *

The week passed slowly, leftover tension from the "Outcast" incident became an elephant in the room. Those who felt his banishment was unjust were suffocating in the silence as everyone else tried to ignore it. Stoick wore his ceremonial mourning cloak, of which Astrid could remember laughing at when she was younger; it was hideous. She recalled telling Ruffnut that it looked like a yak died on his shoulders. But now, it wasn't funny at all. She began to look forward to the night watch she shared with Fishlegs, he was weird, to be sure, but he was pleasant company. She was starting to regret not getting to know him sooner. She climbed the steps to the Watch Tower two at a time, but stopped in her track at the top. Fishlegs wasn't there, Ruffnut sat in his place, picking her finger nails in boredom. "Took you long enough, Hofferson."

"Wha...? Where's Fish?" She sat across from the wild female twin.

Ruff crossed her legs. "Eh, the chief had some other stuff for him to do to pay of his debt. He asked me to take his place."

"Oh. Is he going to come back?"

She shrugged. "I hope so. I hate watch duty."

Astrid smirked. "Then why'd you agree to it? I'm sure Snotlout would've gladly taken his place."

"I was afraid he'd start crying if I said no. He's been kinda off it lately, if you know what I mean."

Astrid nodded. "Point taken."

They sat like that for a while, staring out to the horizon. But let it never be said Ruffnut had a long attention span.

"Astrid?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm bored. We should talk, or something."

Her companion turned to face her. "What about?"

She put on a thoughtful face and pretended to think. "Hmm, I don't know. Let me think..."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Spit it out."

"Why did you save Hiccup from the Nightmare? I thought you hated him."

Astrid groaned. She should've known that Ruff would bring up a touchy subject.

"I don't hate anybody. Strongly dislike, yes, but not hate. I was simply being a decent human being by saving him; anyone would have done the same."

The Thorson girl grinned evilly. "Sure. But everyone else was sitting above the arena, why were _you_ in the entrance?" Astrid looked away and she knew she'd hit home.

"Spill."

"I-I wanted to wish him luck."

Then why didn't you come back up to sit with us?"

"Because I had a feeling he was going to do something stupid."

"Why did you care?"

"I want a new conversation now."

"Oh, come on! Just answer!"

"I'm ignoring you."

Ruffnut laughed demonically. She'd gotten her answer. "Defensive, much? Geez, fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"How about we play the quiet game?"

Soon, a month passed, then two, three, four, and finally a year. It seemed everyone had forgotten about the boy and the Fury, who never returned for the expected revenge. He never returned at all. The Nine Worlds soon lost interest in Thor's chess game, brushing it off as yet another loss


End file.
